So, I have been using black boxes to draw my connector symbols. I bring my lines to it all clean and straight, then hit update black box. Then, I go through and change the automatic numeric sequence it assigns to whatever pin number I need. At this point, life is good. My connector, which may have, say 11 positions, but only a random 4 are used, is correct and clean. It shows 4 wires, each one going to their correct pin, even though they most likely are not numerically in order.
THEN, I decide I don't like the description of the manufacture's part I've assigned to that connector. So, I update the description for that part in the manufacturer parts manager. I delete that part from the connector in the drawing/project, and re-assign it to the same part, just updated with a better description. And then SWE autotragically changes my nice pinout to a straight numeric sequence. So, my 4 pins which were previously called out as pin numbers 5, 7, 8, 11 are now changed to 1, 2, 3, 4.
SWE doesn't warn me it's doing this. As you can imagine, this is extremely unhelpful (and potentially downright dangerous, if not caught). What gives? To me, this can only be described as a particularly nasty bug. One that has really shaken my confidence in this tool.
Is there a way to turn this behavior off? Or has this been fixed in SWE 2015? I'm currently running SP4 2014.
Phil,
I've fought this very same issue. What is happening is SWE assigns the terminals from the parts list database. This is a great feature... when it works. When it doesn't work, it becomes the equivalent of that toy that turns itself off.
The software likes a fully pinned symbol and adds the pin markings in the order listed in the parts database. The pin assignments can be "forced" if you have a one-line diagram and use the cable manager to assign cores / connections. Unfortunately this is an additional step.
My workflow now consists of changing pins after I assign the part.
As you said, this helpful "feature" can end up being a potentially dangerous problem. A more intuitive interface would help considerably. A warning popup would also be useful.
I hear a lot of work has been done on connectors in the latest version. I'm waiting for IT to get around to installing the new software. In the mean time I'm still on 2014.